Thanks to popular movies, the character of Seattle’s romantic landscape seems fixed in a few iconic images from the early ’90s: a) John Cusack broadcasting Peter Gabriel in the rain, b) Matt Dillon wearing high grunge, c) Tom Hanks on a houseboat. But we’d like to give some screen time to real singles—Seattleites in the present tense. Far from pathetic or brooding, they are adventurous, entrepreneurial and funny, much like the city itself. What follows are interviews with a diverse group of interesting (and unattached) locals, who obliged our personal questions by cracking jokes, sharing restaurant recommendations (for a first date, or when you’re flying solo) and, of course, reminding those of us who’ve partnered up how thrilling the sense of anticipation can be when you’re still searching for the perfect match.

Click through the captions above to read our interview with each individual.